page_title: Al-Muqtadir
hierarchical_section_title: Al-Muqtadir
caption_attribution_description: English: ISLAMIC, 'Abbasid Caliphate. temp. Al-Muqtadir. Third reign, AH 317-320 / AD 929-932. AV Dinar (25mm, 6.01 g, 5h). Citing Abu’l Abbas as heir and ‘Amid al-Dawla as vizier. al-Ahwaz mint. Dated AH 320 (AD 932/3). Kalima in four lines across field; Quran 30:4-5 in outer margin, mint formula and AH date in inner margin / Continuation of Kalima across field, “li-’illah” above, names of Abu’l Abbas and ‘Amid al-Dawla below; “Second Symbol” (Quran 9:33) in outer margin. Album 248. VF, some light marks.
context_page_description: Abu’l-Faḍl Jaʿfar ibn Ahmad al-Muʿtaḍid, better known by his regnal name al-Muqtadir bi-llāh, was the Caliph of the Abbasid Caliphate from 908 to 932 CE, with the exception of a brief deposition in favour of al-Qahir in 928.
  He came to the throne at the age of 13, the youngest Caliph in Abbasid history, as a result of palace intrigues. His accession was soon challenged by the supporters of the older and more experienced Abdallah ibn al-Mu'tazz, but their attempted coup in December 908 was quickly and decisively crushed. Al-Muqtadir enjoyed a longer rule than any of his predecessors, but was uninterested in government. Affairs were run by his officials, although the frequent change of viziers—fourteen changes of the head of government are recorded for his reign—hampered the effectiveness of the administration. The harem, where his mother, Shaghab, exercised total control, also exercised a frequently decisive influence on affairs, and especially on the advancement or dismissal of officials. After a period of consolidation and recovery under his father al-Mu'tadid and older half-brother al-Muktafi, al-Muqtadir's reign marks the onset of rapid decline.
context_section_description: Abu’l-Faḍl Jaʿfar ibn Ahmad al-Muʿtaḍid  (Arabic: أبو الفضل جعفر بن أحمد المعتضد‎) (895 – 31 October 932 CE), better known by his regnal name al-Muqtadir bi-llāh (Arabic: المقتدر بالله‎, "Mighty in God"), was the Caliph of the Abbasid Caliphate from 908 to 932 CE (295–320 AH), with the exception of a brief deposition in favour of al-Qahir in 928.
  He came to the throne at the age of 13, the youngest Caliph in Abbasid history, as a result of palace intrigues. His accession was soon challenged by the supporters of the older and more experienced Abdallah ibn al-Mu'tazz, but their attempted coup in December 908 was quickly and decisively crushed. Al-Muqtadir enjoyed a longer rule than any of his predecessors, but was uninterested in government. Affairs were run by his officials, although the frequent change of viziers—fourteen changes of the head of government are recorded for his reign—hampered the effectiveness of the administration. The harem, where his mother, Shaghab, exercised total control, also exercised a frequently decisive influence on affairs, and especially on the advancement or dismissal of officials. After a period of consolidation and recovery under his father al-Mu'tadid and older half-brother al-Muktafi, al-Muqtadir's reign marks the onset of rapid decline. The full treasury inherited by al-Muqtadir was quickly emptied, and financial difficulties would become a persistent feature of the caliphal government. Ifriqiya fell to the Fatimids, although the commander-in-chief Mu'nis al-Muzaffar was able to repel their attempts to conquer Egypt as well. Nearer to Iraq, the Hamdanids became autonomous masters of the Jazira and the Qarmatians re-emerged as a major threat, culminating in their capture of Mecca in 929. The forces of the Byzantine Empire, under John Kourkouas, began a sustained offensive into the borderlands of the Thughur and Armenia. As a result, in February 929 a palace revolt briefly replaced al-Muqtadir with his brother al-Qahir. The new regime failed to consolidate itself, however, and after a few days al-Muqtadir was restored. The commander-in-chief, Mu'nis al-Muzaffar, was by then a virtual dictator. Urged by his enemies, al-Muqtadir attempted to get rid of him in 932, but Mu'nis marched with his troops on Baghdad, and in the ensuing battle on 31 October 932 al-Muqtadir was killed.
caption: Gold dinar of al-Muqtadir with the names of his heir Abu'l-Abbas and the vizier Amid al-Dawla
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